An automotive transmission alters the power generated by a vehicle's engine and transmits the resultant power to a drive shaft, which turns the vehicle's wheels. Bridging between the engine output and the drive shaft requires consideration of the axial thrust load forces exerted by the drive shaft, torque converter, and forces generated by the helical cut gears within the transmission during operation of the vehicle. The axial thrust load forces result from the vehicle's suspension moving up and down in response to road conditions and thereby moving the drive shaft up and down at one end so as to cause the drive shaft to pivot about a universal joint located near the transmission. The arcuate movement of the drive shaft as it pivots and the generally fixed distance between the transmission and the suspension work together to create axial loads in the transmission during suspension movement. In general, the transmission endures the axial thrust load forces along an axial thrust load path that traverses several transmission components. Over time, these axial thrust load forces lead to transmission component failure.